Dispenser for powdered materials



March 13, 1934. GREEN 1,950,941

DISPENSER FOR POWDERED' MATERIALS Original Filed Feb. 18. 1932- 2 Sheets-Sheet l /5 .27 v en 6 [lee G U H awd l March 13, 1934. L, GREEN 1,950,941

DISPENSER FOR POWDERED MATERIALS Original Filed Feb. 18, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 177 /30 t'OI"-' Lee (7 7 Patented Mar. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE DISPENSER FOR POWDERED MATERIALS Lee 13. Green, Lakewoo (1, Ohio,- assignor to The Globe Machine 81: Stamping Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 16 Claims.

My invention relates to dispensers for powdered or otherwise comminuted materials, and in one of its general objects aims to provide a simple and inexpensive dispensing appliance 5 of sufiicient lightness so that it can easily be lifted and manipulated while held in the hand of the user even when attached to a can filled with the material which is to be dispensed.

More particularly, my invention relates to a 1 dispenser of this class in which a sealing gate normally closes the discharge spout, and in this aspect to provide a simple and inexpensive mechanism for opening and closing this gate in timed relation to the dispensing operation, together with a compact mounting for the entire operating mechanism of the dispenser.

Further and more detailed objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in 2 which drawings 1 is a side elevation of a dispenser embodying my invention, showing this as directly attached to a can from which the material is supplied to the dispenser, with portions of the can and of the dispenser cover broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same dispenser, with the major portion of the dispenser cover broken away.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of front portions 30 of the dispenser, including the spout-sealing gate and the finger-piece on the actuating plunger.

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective View of the gate member.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken along the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section taken along the line 6-6 of Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View, taken from the line 7---'? of Figs. 1 or 2.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section along the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 a section similar to Fig. 8 but with the dispenser tilted, the dispensing cylinder rotated to its full discharge position, and the spout gate opened.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line l0-l0 of Fig. 2, with dotted lines showing the positions of certain parts in the fullopen position of the gate.

In my copending application #613,496, filed May 25, 1932, I disclosed a dispenser of the same general class, supported by a stand and discharging downwardly, and having an oscillatable actuating shaft connected by auxiliary instrumentalities to both the dispensing member and the spout-sealing gate. My here disclosed dispenser differs from that of the said copending application particularly in requiring no stand portion, in employing a digitally reciprocable plunger as the actuating member, in forming certain parts so that the dispenser can be firmly supported and tilted by a single hand of the user with the thumb of that hand disposed for manipulating the plunger, and in a decided simplification of the mechanism.

In the illustrated embodiment, the main part or body of the dispenser has its lower or base portion 1 formed for seating on a horizontal surface, and has a substantially L-shaped main bore, the shank portion 2 of which bore flares upwardly to afford a hopper for material flowing into it from an inverted material can 3. This can has its mouth flange 4 sleeved on the upper annular end 5 of the hopper as shown in Fig. 8, and the can is freely housed by an inverted cup-like dispenser cover 6 sleeved on a hopper ring '2 concentric with the said annular end 5, after the manner shown in my copending application.

The dispenser body also includes a forwardly projecting spout portion 8, the bore 8A of which forms the basal part of the l.-shaped main bore and has its axis at a considerable angle (here shown as degrees) to that of the hopper bore 2. This discharge or spout bore 8A is connected to the lower end of the hopper bore 2 by a portion of a cylindrical cross-bore 9 which extends into the body from the right-hand side of the body, the body having an integral left-hand side portion 10 closing that end of the cross-bore.

Disposed within this cross-bore 9 is a dispensing member which includes a cylinder 11 provided with a measuring pocket 12 normally facing the hopper bore 2 as shown in Fig. 8, and provided also at its left-hand end (Fig. 6) with a stub shaft 13 journaled in a hub 10A on the said bore-end closing side portion 10. This stub shaft is here shown as tightly driven into an axial bore at the left-hand end of the dispensing cylinder and as including a shaft flange 13A to space the major portion of that end of the cylinder from the body side portion 10. The dispensing member also includes a pinion l4 coaxial with the dispensing cylinder 11 and projecting from the right-hand end of the cylinder, and a second stub shaft 15 coaxial with the cylinder and outward of the pinion; the pinion and the second stub shaft 10 being non-rotatable with respect to the cylinder and shown in Fig. 6 as separately manufactured from the cylinder to permit the use of harder material for the pinion.

This second or right-hand stub shaft 15 is journaled in an inwardly directed hub 16 on the cap-like portion 17A of a side member 17 which otherwise is of the general form of a plate and which is clamped against the body 1 by two screws 18. This side member desirably has an annular flange 19 snugly fitting into the right-hand end of the cross-bore 9 to cooperate with the clamping of the side plate against the body for sealing that end of the bore against the admission of air, as shown in Fig. 6.

Extending rearwardly into the said cap-like portion 17A is a plunger stem 20 having its axis in a plane at ri ht angles to that of the cylinder 11 and desirably parallel to the axis of the spout bore 8A. This plunger stem ex tends slidably through a bushing 21 socketed in a forwardly opening bore in the said caplike portion 1 7A, and has a smaller diametered rearward portion 20A slidably fitting a bore 22A in a screw 22 which is threaded into the said side plate in axial alinement with the bushing 21, and the main portion 20 of the plunger has its lower edge provided with rack teeth 20B meshing with the pinion 14 of the dispensing member. Fastened to the forward end of the plunger stem is a finger-piece 23 which has a rear face portion disposed for engaging the front of the said cap-like portion 17A to limit the real ward movement of the plunger, the plunger being continually urged forwardly by a compression spring 24 interposed between the inner end of the screw 22 and the rear end of the plunger stem 20.

Extending through the upper portion of the spout 8 adjacent to the front or discharge end of the spout, parallel to the axis of the cylinder ll, is a pivoting pin 25 extending also through cars 26 and 27 of a gate member which normally closes that end of the spout. This gate member desirably includes a gate 28 having a compressible facing 29 ii ted to its inner face, and the gate ear 2? adjacent to the plunger has a gate arm 28A provided with a slot 283, which armdesirably is closely adjacent to the finger-piece 23.

Projecting from this finger-piece 23 is a gateoperating finger 39 which slides in the slot 28B, and which extends parallel to the axis of the gate-pivoting pin 25. The slot 283 in the gate arm preferably has its medial plane at an. angle of about 135 degrees to the inner face of the gate and normally extending forwardly upward from the pivot pin 25 on which the gate member swings. Thus arranged, a ninety degree movement of the gate 'member (as required for moving that member from its closure position of Fig. 8 to its full-open position of Fig. 9) will still leave the longitudinal walls of the slot 288 at a considerable angle to the direction in which the plunger finger 39 moves, thereby insuring an eifective cam action between this finger and the said slot walls.

To facilitate a convenient and firm grasping of the dispenser by the user, I provide the side member 17 with two superposed rear end notches 30 and 31 and with a lower edge notch 32 near the rear end of this plate for interlocking respectively with three fingers of a hand which grasps the dispenser so as to have the thumb of the same hand engage a dished out forward face portion 23A of the fingerpiece carried by the plunger. By thus grasping the di ocnser, the user can readily lift the dispenser, tilt it forwardly as shown in Fig. 9) and then press the finger-piece inwardly, thereby performing the lifting and dispensing operation with a single and speedy operation.

During the resulting rearward sliding of the plunger, the rack teeth 20B rotate the pinion 14: of the dispensing member, thereby turning the dispensing cylinder (in a direction which is clockwise in Fig. 8) to the position of Fig. 9 by the time when the inward end of the fingerpiece engages the front of the side plate to halt the movement of the plunger.

Since the gate-operating finger 39 is fast with respect to the plunger, this finger moves rearwardly with the plunger, and the engagement of this pin with the rear wall of the slot 28B in the gate arm swings the gate from its full line position of Fig. 10 to the dotted line position of the same figure, which latter position corre sponds to the full-open gate position of Fig. 9; so that the gate is fully opened by the time the measuring pocket 12 of the dispensing member completely faces the bore of the discharge spout. Moreover, with the dispensing cylinder rotating in the recited direction, the measuring pocket first opens toward the lower edge of the bore of the spout, so that the material is not directed toward the at any time during the dispensing.

As soon as the digital pressure on the fingerpiece is released, the spring 24 slides the plunger forwardly again, thereby causing the finger or pin 39 to engage the forward wall of the slot 28B so as to swing the gate back toward its closure position in which the discharge end of the spout is engaged by the gate member, namely in this case by the facing 29 of the gate. By making the said slot sufficiently long (as shown in Fig. 10) so that the pin 39 never engages either end of the slot, Iemploy the engagement of the gate member with the spout end as the means for halting the return movement of all parts of the mechanism, thereby insuring a tight sealing of the spout and also compensating for a gradual compression of the gate facing or for wear on the latter.

The two screws 18 desirably have knurled heads as here illustrated, so that they can easily be rotated without the use of any tool; and when these screws are detached, the side member together with the parts mounted on it can all be slid manually (horizontally sidewise) off the body of the dispenser. Since the slidable detaching of these parts causes the rack teeth on the plunger to slide off the teeth of the pinion 14 of the dispensing member, the plunger might then rotate during a cleaning of the detached parts, so as to interfere with a speedy slidably reattaching of the said detachable assembly. To avoid such an interference, I desirably provide auxiliary i .eans for preventing the plunger from rotating the side member about the axis of the plunger, as by fastening the fingerpiece 23 also to a guide rod 34 which extends parallel to the plunger stem and slides in a guide bore 35 formed in the side plate, as shown in Fig. 6'.

in addition, I desirably provide means for preventing the s ring 24 from moving the plunger forward to any considerable extent when the said side assembly is detached, as by providing 4-; gain:

a cross-pin 36 which extends through the plunger within the cap-like portion of the side plate, as shown in Fig. 6. By disposing this pin 36 so that it is spaced only slightly from the inner face of the adjacent frontal wall of this cap-like portion 17A when the forward movement of the plunger is halted by the closing of the gate, I can readily limit the forward movement of the plunger by the spring (when the said side assembly is detached) to such a small extent that the pinion and the rack teeth will readily mesh again in proper relation to each other when that assembly is slipped back into its normal position.

When this side assembly is detached, the dispensing member can instantly be slid out of the cross-bore in the body, and the gate member then is free to be swung above the top of the spout, thereby permitting an easy and eifective cleaning of all bore portions of the body of my dispenser.

In manufacturing my appliance cheaply, the body can be a die-casting, desirably of light metal, on which the only needed machining is the drilling and tapping of two bores for receiving the attaching screws 18, and the drilling of a bore for the gate-pivoting pin 25. The side plate can likewise be a die-casting in which all bores are initially formed, and in which only a single tapping may be required for receiving the plunger-guiding screw 22. For the dispensing memher, the flanged left-hand stub shaft 13 and the companion stub shaft 15 (with the pinion teeth on it) are desirably formed of a harder metal, and these two parts can be drive-fitted into the dispensing cylinder which may be a die-casting requiring no machining whatever.

Owing to this economical manufacturing of the major parts, and also because of the simplicity of its assembly, the entire cost of my dis penser can be quite low. However, while I have heretofore described an embodiment of my invention including features particularly designed for reducing the cost of such a dispenser, I do not wish to be limited to these or other details of the construction and arrangement thus disclosed, as many changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from. the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A dispenser comprising a body having a main bore extending through it to present an upper bore inlet and a relatively lower bore outlet, the body also having a cross-bore extending into it from one side of the body and crossing the said main bore; a side member de tachably secured to the body and closing the entrance end of the cross-bore; a dispensing member disposed within the cross-bore and adapted when rotated to transfer a measured quantity mounted in the side member; first means direct- 1y connecting the plunger with the dispensing member for causing a sliding of the plunger to rotate the dispensing member, and second means directly connecting the plunger with the gate member whereby a sliding of the plunger moves the gate with respect to the said outer bore end.

2. A dispenser as per claim 1, in which the first means comprise rack teeth fast upon the plunger and a pinion meshing with the rack teeth and non-rotatable with respect to the dispensing member.

3. A dispenser as per claim 1, in which the dispensing member includes two stub shafts coaxial with that member; the stub shafts being respectively journaled in the side of the body toward which the cross-bore extends into the body, and in the said side member, the side member being adapted to be slid off the stub shaft which is journaled to it.

4. A dispenser as per claim 1, in which the gate member has a slot oblique to the axis of the plunger, and in which the second means comprise a finger projecting from the plunger and extending parallel to the pivoting axis of the gate member; the said finger being slidable in the said slot.

5. A dispenser as per claim I, in which the gate member has a slot oblique to the axis of the plunger, and in which the second means comprise a finger projecting from the plunger and extending parallel to the pivoting axis of the gate member; the said finger being slidable in the said slot and adapted to be slid out of the slot when the side member is detached from the body.

6. A dispenser as per claim 1, in which the second means include a finger projecting from the plunger, and in which the gate member has a slot in which the said finger slides, the slot having its medial plane so disposed with respect to the inner face of the gate member that the said plane is at right angles to the outer end of the outlet portion of the main bore when the plunger is in the mid-position of its slidable movement.

7. A dispenser as per claim 1, in which the plunger includes a finger-piece exterior of the side member, and in which the side member has edge recesses disposed for interlocking with fingers of a hand which has its thumb disposed for pressing against the outer face of the fingerpiece.

8. A dispenser as per claim 1, including means interposed between the plunger and the side member for preventing rotation of the plunger about its own axis.

9. A dispenser as per claim 1, including a bar fast with respect to the plunger and parallel to the stem of the plunger, the side member having a bore in which the said bar slides.

10. A dispenser as per claim 1, including resilient means housed by, and detachable from the body with, the side member for continually urging the plunger in one direction; the second means being disposed so that the engagement of the gate member with the said outer bore,

end operates through these second means to halt the movement of the plunger in the said direction.

11. A dispenser as per claim 1, including resilient means housed by, and detachable from the body with, the side member for continually urging the plunger in one direction, the second means being disposed so that the engagement of the gate member with the said outer bore end operates through these second means to halt the movement of the plunger in the said direction; and a stop member fast upon the plunger within the side member and normally freely spaced by a quite short distance from an adjacent portion of this side member, the stop member being disposed for engaging this adjacent portion to limit the movement of the plunger in the same direction when the side member and plunger are conjointly detached from the body.

12. A dispenser comprising a body member having a bore through which material passes in. an initially downward direction; the said bore having a forwardly directed outlet; a dispensing member rotatably mounted in the body and intercepting the said bore and adapted to transfer a measured quantity of material from the upper to the lower portion of bore; a plunger slidably supported by the body and having its axis extending transversely of the axis of the dispensing member; a gate member pivoted to the body and normally closing the outlet end of the said bore; the pivot axis of the gate member being parallel to the axis of the dispensing member, and means whereby a movement of the plunger in one direction moves the dispensing member to effect the said transfer of material; the gate member including an arm extending radially from its pivot axis and the gate memher having a spout engaging face in a plane radially of the said pivot axis and oblique to the said arm, the plunger and the gate member having directly interengaging portions for causing, the movement of the plunger in the said direction to swing the gate away from the said bore outlet end.

13. A dispenser as per claim 12, in which the said interengaging portions comprise the walls of a longitudinal slot in the gate arm and a finger projecting from the plunger, the said finger extending parallel to the pivot axis of the gate and into the said slot.

14. A dispenser as per claim 12, in which the gate member is pivoted to the body on a horizontal axis disposed above the said bore outlet end and offset inwardly of the dispenser from the center of gravity of the gate member, whereby gravity continually tends to move the gate member to its said closure position.

15. A dispenser as per claim 12, in which the body member comprises a body provided with the said bore and upon which the gate member is pivoted, and a side plate detachably secured to the said body; the side plate having the plunger slidable therein and being manually detachable conjointly with the plunger from the said body.

16. A dispenser comprising a body having intermediate its ends a crossbore, the body having a lateral bore and a downwardly extending bore both opening into the cross-bore; a dispensing member disposed in the cross-bore and having a measuring pocket normally facing the lower end of the downwardly extending bore, the dispensing member being rotatable to a position in which its pocket faces the inner end of the lateral bore; a plunger supported by the body for slidable movement parallel to the lateral bore, a gate pivoted to the body and normally closing the outer end of the lateral bore; 100 cooperating instrumentalities for causing a movement of the plunger in one direction to rotate the dispensing member from its first named to its second named position, and for simultaneously therewith swinging the gate out 105 of facing relation to the said outer end of the lateral bore; and means associated with the plunger for halting the movement of the said plunger and instrumentalities when the plunger and gate are in their last recited positions.

LEE B. GREEN. 

